Wandering Eyes, Following Hearts
by beedivine
Summary: The first time she notices the staring, she thinks there must be something on her face – food in her teeth possibly? She casts a quick glance around the room to see if anyone else is watching her, but there's no one. Only Marlene.


**Disclaimer:** Anything you recognize belongs to JKR.

_Wandering Eyes, Following Hearts_

_I got a lot to say to you  
__Yeah, I got a lot to say  
__I noticed you eyes are always glued to me  
__Keeping them here  
__And it makes no sense at all_

_Crushcrushcrush :: Paramore_

The first time she notices the staring, she thinks there must be something on her face – food in her teeth possibly? She casts a quick glance around the room to see if anyone else is watching her, but there's no one. Only Marlene. She shoots her a questioning look, and Marlene turns away in an instant. Alice could almost swear that Marlene's cheeks are slightly pink.

Weeks pass, and Alice sees Marlene look at her no more than is ordinary or expected. It was only one look, one moment that happened so quickly, and after a time, she forgets about it completely, thinking that she must have made it out to be a bigger deal than it really was.

Until it finally does happens again.

They're on a mission for the Order of the Phoenix, checking out a building with reported Death Eater activity, and she can't help but notice the nervous, fearful glances that Marlene keeps sending her way. Since when is Marlene fearful of anything? It also doesn't escape her notice that every open door way, and any hiding spot that a Death Eater could possibly be waiting in that they pass, Marlene slyly places herself in front of Alice, blocking her.

From that very first nervous glance she can't help but watch Marlene in return, one glance is all it takes for her to have stolen Alice's attention completely – which in a situation like this, is stupid and reckless. But she can't help herself.

More than anything she's curious. Is she once again just reading too far into what she saw? After all, they're all nervous and scared. But that doesn't change the fact that Marlene is blocking her, moving in such a way that it almost appears to be instinct. Or maybe Marlene just wants to be the first to take down a Death Eater, even if that means putting herself in the line of fire; she always has been slightly reckless. It's all so much to consider, but she tries to push the thoughts from her mind, because now is not the time to get distracted.

The next time Alice sees Marlene watching her, she's not surprised when her heart picks up speed and a butterfly or two makes its way into her stomach. Because she's seen that look before, she's seen one other person look at her in that exact same way time and time again. She knows this look, there's no mistaking it.

Marlene's face is open, so clear, with every single emotion she's feeling spelled out, plain as day. She looks so young, so vulnerable – like her soul has been laid out for the world to see. She stares at Alice as if she is the only other person in the room, as if she is the only other person left in the world; no one else exists. Frank has looked at her that way many times, most of which after, he leans close and presses a kiss to her forehead, her cheeks, her lips, and whispers into her ears just how much he loves her.

So she _must_ be mistaken, because Marlene can't be looking at her with those same eyes, with that same face. Marlene who has hardly ever said more than a few words to her – Alice had always got the impression that she didn't like her; Marlene was always so friendly, so outgoing, around everyone. Everyone except Alice. This is the very same Marlene who, when Alice is around, always seems to do nothing but sit back… and watch.

That's when it hits her. That maybe she was wrong, that she had jumped to conclusions when she assumed Marlene didn't like her. That thought terrifies her, and – dare she even think it – thrills her, as well. The thin girl with her moonlit skin and pale gold ringlets always piled perfectly, yet carelessly, atop her head, had always mystified her, had always been somewhat of a mystery – and now it would finally seem that the mystery is starting to come unraveled.

When she sees Marlene leave the room, she doesn't waste a second to think it through more than that; she excuses herself and follows her. She finds her in the small sitting room of the house that the Order of The Phoenix is using for their headquarters.

"I was wondering if you would follow me," Marlene says as soon as Alice enters the room. She is staring out the window, and doesn't glance over at Alice, even when she first entered the room.

"W-why were you wondering that?" Alice asks, cursing her sudden nerves for seeping into her voice.

Marlene looks over at her now. "I thought you would have figured that out by now," she says, her dark eyes swirling with emotion – the same look from before clear on her face. Alice reaches behind her and closes the door, and then leans against it; she bites her lip and stares at the opposite wall, her heart beating slightly faster than usual.

After a few seconds, Alice nods her head slightly. "Yes," she breathes, but says nothing more, still looking at the wall.

Marlene takes a hesitant step forward, and then another, until there is only a few feet of distance left between them. She stands there, no longer moving, barely even breathing, waiting for Alice to just look at her already.

For a few minutes, the only sound is that of their quiet breathing, the only movement, their chests rising and falling as air fills their lungs. Then Alice takes a loud, ragged breath and looks up, meeting Marlene's eyes. Everything happens so quickly after that, that Alice barely has time to register what is happening.

The second Alice looks up and meets Marlene's eyes, it's feels, yet again, like they are the only two people in the world – no one else matters, nothing else matters. In that same second, Marlene has darted forward, the two feet between them gone. There is not even an inch of space between them now.

Their bodies melt together, the line between where one ends and another begins becomes hazy. When she feels Marlene's lips crash against hers, the world explodes – because she's never felt something so _right_ before. Not when SweetPerfectFrank kisses her, not ever. As soon as she gets over the shock, and is able to unfreeze her body, is able to think at least semi-coherently again, she's kissing Marlene back with a passion that surprises even herself.

They can feel their hearts beating wildly _together_, the sound a thrumming pulse beating madly through the air. They can feel one another's breaths coming in hot, shaking gasps against their throats, their faces. It's nervous, clumsy hands and electric touches, and neither of them would change it for the world, because all it took was one glance to show them where they were meant to be.

**A/N:** After I finished my last Alice/Marlene fic, I decided that I didn't really feel like I did them justice. So I decided to give them another try, and I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out. But I would love to know what you thought. So whether you liked it or not, leave a review and let me know. =]


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